off a tub of coconut yogurt when my phone chimed Sunday evening.
Give me your address, I’ll pick you up in an hour to talk.
I wasn’t the least bit surprised when he pulled up in a BMW, but the contrast it gave to my scruffy attire was off-putting. Even though I had plenty of time to change, I decided to stay in my favorite ripped jeans, loved for their comfort rather than how they looked. They hardly screamed beautiful and popular, but then again William already knew I was an impostor.
Casting a look over my shoulder at my neighbors’ houses, hoping none of them would say anything to my mother, who was busy out at a girls’ night, I discreetly slid into the passenger seat. I briefly admired the luxurious interior before taking in the beautiful face of William Bishop.
“Evening, Whittaker,” he said stiffly as he drove off from the curb.
“Where are we going?” I asked, dumping the pleasantries.
“Nowhere anyone will see us,” he replied, his eyes a hauntingly dark shade as they flicked to his rearview mirror.
Something had changed. When I’d confronted him, he’d been angry. Tonight, he was calmer. Almost smug.
We drove for a few miles before he pulled into an unfamiliar, empty parking lot, killing the engine. The lights of Wandemore Valley were long gone, and all I could see out the window was darkness.
“Is this where you dump your dead bodies?” I asked as I followed him out of the car into the darkness.
He chuckled. “Not quite. If I was going to murder someone, I’d take them farther than here.”
“Reassuring,” I muttered. I wrapped my hands around my elbows to fight off the chill that was scattering goose bumps across my skin.
William strode toward the trees that bordered the parking lot, and I quickened my pace to keep up with him. After a few rows of tall oaks, I saw the glittering of lights below us. We were at a lookout, high enough for Wandemore Valley to look like a sea of stars.
“Nice,” I said, an understatement. I pried my attention from the skyline, reminding myself I didn’t come along so he could show me a pretty view. “So, have you come up with a plan?”
“I’ve done a lot of research this weekend,” he said, leaning against a tree trunk. His coat looked much more weather-appropriate than my thin shirt.
“Like?” I pressed.
“Like working out why a girl like you would blackmail me for high school popularity. It seems a little simple of a bargain for someone carrying this much leverage.” His voice was deep and slow, as if he was enjoying watching me squirm.
“Are you saying I should ask for more?”
“I’m saying that there’s more to it than you’re letting on.”
“There always is, isn’t there?” I tried to sound unconcerned, but my mind was racing almost as fast as my heart. Does he know?
“That’s right.”
I pressed my lips together, trying to keep my face blank.
His eyes twinkled in the light of the half-moon above us, and I swear I saw the smallest smirk etched into the side of his lips. “It all made sense when I found out you were best friends with Monica Pennington.”
Obviously, it’d come out that I’d once known the infamous Monica Pennington, but it was never supposed to be traced back to my motives. That was what William Bishop was supposed to protect me from. He was supposed to give me an in—an excuse. By the time they dug beneath the surface, they’d know me as the girl they met through William. Not Monica’s best friend. The connection wouldn’t be so obvious.
But I hadn’t expected William to make the connection so fast. Not before he was in too deep, at least.
“I have to say, it surprised me,” William continued. “But it makes sense. You want revenge for her.”
“You don’t need to bother yourself with what I want.”
He took a step closer. His eyes were menacing, locking with mine in a way that made my knees tremble.
“Let me get this straight. You want to destroy us,” he said, “because of Monica.”
I lifted my chin. He may have worked out more than he should have been able to, but that didn’t mean I could give up. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Bishop.”
He shrugged, his eyes following me darkly. “I can put the pieces together.”
I tightened my jaw. “Think what you please. If you don’t want the world to know that your family’s power is built on bribery, then you’ll keep your mouth shut.”
William